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The two original bridges crossing
the Cooper River were determined to be functionally obsolete. The
Grace Memorial Bridge carried traffic for seventy six years and had two
narrow 10-foot lanes, did not have any shoulders, and
was limited to carrying vehicles weighing
less than five tons. Because of the weight limit
on the Grace Bridge, all Charleston bound heavy
trucks, recreational vehicles, and busses were diverted to the single southbound lane on the
Pearman Bridge. The Pearman Bridge, built in 1968,
had three 12-foot lanes but did not have
shoulders or a median separating its
northbound and southbound traffic. Neither bridge
offers a vertical or horizontal clearance
to safely accommodate the latest large shipping
vessels. Once the replacement bridge opened, the two existing bridges were removed. A joint venture of Jay Cashman, Inc. and Testa Corporation completed the demolition.
As outlined in the 1998 Final
environmental Impact Statement, there was a need
to replace the Grace and Pearman Bridges with
a new Ravenel Bridge that:
- Increased the capacity of
US 17 over the Cooper River to accommodate area
growth predictions.
- Improved traffic safety by
meeting current design standards and eliminating
substandard safety factors.
- Reduced the frequency and
costs of the major bridge maintenance activities
that are necessary because of the age and design
of the existing bridges
- Increased the vertical and
horizontal navigational clearances to accommodate
the current needs of
the many seafaring vessels traveling up and
down the Cooper River.
For years there had been a need
to replace the Cooper River Bridges, but this
effort would not have been possible without partnerships
to design and build the new bridge and especially
the innovative partnerships
to fund the project. |
